Thing 4 - Instant Messaging

I have now set up IM and invited all of you 'followers' to be on my Buddy List. It was quite exciting to find Serious Sue online (and logged into IM!) just after launching Google Talk and accepting her invitation to be added to her Buddy List. We had a nice little conversation through IM but fairly quickly decided that we'd rather continue via telephone.



This is not my first experience with IM. When my son was travelling alone abroad a few years ago, and I was his secretary & accountant, this was a handy way to communicate. There were even a few internet cafe computers with cameras so that I could actually see that he was OK! (Moms and their worries.) My daughter shares an office with five other people and encourages me to IM her so that she doesn't have to leave the office to have a (out loud telephone) conversation.



I could see a real benefit to this IM thing at the information desk of our library. When one reference desk librarian can't reach another reference desk librarian by phone, they might be able to IM their question and a response could be posted without disturbing the patron that is currently being served.



In following a link to a blog that I found in the comment section of this lesson, I read about how the Topeka Shawnee Library added a Meebo Widget to unsuccessful keyboard searches in their library catalog. Interesting.



I'll have to check out Meebo... but after that next cup of tea...